FARMERS RETURN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22823, 2 September 1937, Page 13

FARMERS RETURN

TOUR IN AUSTRALIA BARREN CATTLE COUNTRY " LITTLE BETTER THAN DESERT " [BY TELEGRAPH —PKKSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday After touring the coastal cattle districts of Queensland and New South Wales, 55 New Zealand farmers who returned to Wellington by the Wanganella to-day appeared to he for the most part well content with New Zealand's countryside and climate. Much of the country they had seen was, they said, little better than desert, and stock was kept so busy searching for a green blade to nibble that it scarcely found leisure to lie down.

"The country looked barren and bare to Now Zealand eyes," said Mr. J. Moore, of Asliburton, the spokesman of tho party. "Although the cattle at the Brisbane Show were well up to New Zealand standard, those wo saw in the country were pitifully thin—indeed, if a farmer in New Zealand kept his cattle in tho saino condition ho would be prosecuted for cruelty to animals. But where we were it would mean prosecuting tho whole farming community. They seem to farm on the hit-or-miss system, and make :no provision for a supply of winter feed. If things go wrong they just let tho stock starve until the grass grows again. "I. believe a party of Australian cattle farmers are to visit the dairying districts of Taranaki shortly," added Mr. Moore. "I think they will get an eye-opener in tho matter of feeding animals."